When simple movement of heavy objects is needed, there are a number of machines that can be employed to overpower gravity, friction, and inertia in moving these objects. Generally, these solutions involve burning fossil fuels, as well as creating unnecessary noise and burdensome coordination to orchestrate simple linear movement. Consider an example case in which a heavy object, such as an airplane, needs to be moved a short, precise distance. This may be relevant to positioning a plane for repair, for fuel, or for nominal taxiing before takeoff.
Unfortunately, accomplishing this trivial movement involves significant overhead, implicates an additional operator (who is commissioned to tow the plane), and requires an exact and timely coordination with some sort of motorized towing mechanism. Were there to be a lack of synchronization between parties, the party seeking to move the large object could be delayed significantly, or simply unable to use his preferred mode of transportation. Thus, providing a convenient and reliable mechanism for transporting large objects presents a significant challenge for component manufacturers and device designers, alike.